Turning Tides

15. The Day He Started Calling Me Ellis

I'm not sure why I thought that recoiling down into the seats would be a good idea to hide because it didn't work, not even for one second. 

Jayden laughed and called out, "It ain't that big of a deal, come on up, Ellis."

Ellis? Strangely enough, I'd never been called that before. People only ever gave nicknames to things they liked, right? The question gave me the courage to lean back over the top of the door of Tate's Jeep. I held my hands up, "I'm so sorry, Jay-" I wanted to give him a nickname of his own, but my body cringed at the idea, so I finished his name, "Jayden."

"Why are y'all stalking my Instagram?" He asked as his full, pink lips turned up at the corner, grinning slightly. I couldn't tell if he liked it, or was acting like he was amused so that we would reveal the truth.

Tate saved me, "I could ask you the same thing. Why are you stalking us on the ferry?"

"I'm going to do a little back-to-school shopping. Y'all wanna join?" He said.

Tate's quick wit fueled her reply, "You paying?"

The beautiful boy laughed, "Sure, if that's what it takes to get y'all's company."

No. This can't be. There is still chemistry between Tate and Jayden. They were both smiling at each other's comments. He wasn't asking us to go with him so that he could spend time with me. He wanted to spend time with her. 

He continued, "I owe Ellis something after that shit Drew pulled at my house. Your eye looks horrible, buddy," he took his Raybans off to better see my wound. I know he wasn't technically looking me in the eyes, but it felt so real. My spine burnt and my face tingled. I wanted to jump into his truck so badly, but he put his sunglasses back on as the Ferry approached the Mainland. "Ellis, look," he pointed out at the land in front of us. I much rather would have looked at him forever, but I followed his finger. It certainly was a step closer to home. There were moderately sized buildings, shopping centers, and traffic. I never knew how much I would come to miss the Vegas traffic. However, seagulls flying overhead and the ocean crashing against the shore were a great replacement for planes and people screaming. The salty breeze was also welcome. Still, I yearned for, my old friends, my old school, my home.

We followed his giant truck off the ferry and continued to do so for around 5 minutes until we got to a parking lot. Tate teased me about it being a date the entire way, but I was trying my best to ignore her because I already was struggling to keep my nerves at bay. He grabbed a black Kingsley Shrimping Co. hat from the dash of his truck which effortlessly replaced the one I kept from the party at the Capsize. Did the hat that I touched every day, smelled, and even sometimes wore mean absolutely nothing to him? He could replace it just like that. Was that the kind of boy he was?

As we walked the streets, I found myself on the outside of the two former lovers. Jayden was on the left and Tate was on the right, and I had to walk behind them, excluded from conversation and opportunity. Tate was a horrible wingman (wingwoman?). She was stealing my time with the Island's crown prince. They finally turned into a little department store, and Jayden pulled the door open and held it for Tate. She walked through as the bells jingled and curtsied much to his delight. Fuck, they had amazing chemistry. 

"Come on M'lady," he beckoned me.  

I bit my lips as I walk through. There was no way I was going to emulate Tate's gesture, so I walked through into the sweet relief of air conditioning and did the best I could, "Thanks, dude." He sighed and let the door swing shut behind us.

We shopped through the store without speaking much, and I kept my eyes on Jayden more than any of the items I was supposedly looking at. He shopped like I imagined any straight boy would. He spent no more than 30 seconds picking out some neutral-colored shirt, a stark contrast to me spending 10 minutes debating which bright coral shirt would go best with my jeans. He had his hands full. Nothing daddy's credit card couldn't take care of. Tate was off in the women's section, so I knew it would be a great time to strike up a conversation with him, but the words wouldn't come.